L'ecoturismo nelle aree interne come proposta anticrisi

The tourism industry has been growing since the end of WWII (as shown by UNWTO data), apart from some short stops during dramatic events such as the September 11, 2001 attack or the Sars Cov2 virus discovery. Tourism, however, has always shown a strong resilience in the medium and long run, after the first moments of flows disruption. Nowadays, the planet is facing many intertwined crises, as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Sars Cov2 pandemic and the ongoing ecological crisis. Therefore, a reflection is due on which touristic models have to be implemented and which has to be stopped, so as to reduce economic costs and natural resources consumption. We suggest that ecotourism routes, already existing in many regions of the world but still undervalued by mainstream tourism promotional circuits, can be regarded as a possible answer to this need. Our case study is the inner area of Bologna Province, in particular the municipalities grouped into the Unione dei Comuni dell’Appennino Bolognese. Through some interviews conducted in 2022, we will show how,after decades of shrinking tourist demand in those territories, some opportunities can be rediscovered to promote new development policies based on proximity tourism, affordable and sustainable. At the same time, we will show the limits linked to the lack of structural and infrastructural supply. Those policies aimed at promoting a tourism for everyone and environmental friendly would benefit also territories in the inner areas after decades of depopulation.